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Emergency Drinking Water Services Withdrawn
RAETIHI DIESEL SPILL - #20
Emergency Drinking Water Services Withdrawn
With the clearance from health authorities that the Raetihi reticulated water supply taken from the Makara Stream is fit for human consumption emergency drinking water supply services are being withdrawn.
Ruapehu District Council (RDC) Chief Executive and Civil Defence Controller, Peter Till, said that the phased removal of the drinking water supply services follows the removal of emergency toilets, showers and laundry services earlier in the week.
“Emergency drinking water has been supplied in four main ways being; self-help water pods around Raetihi streets, door-to-door water bottle deliveries, water tanker deliveries and a stationary water tanker on the main street,” he said.
“The street water pods are being removed over the next two days.”
“Door-to-door water bottle and tanker deliveries will be phased out over today and tomorrow.”
“The stationary water tanker on Seddon Street will be removed tomorrow”
Mr Till said that people who have had a Council installed dedicated water tank and pressure pump installed who wish to retain these can talk to Council about purchasing the equipment.
“With 78 water tanks on the service register it will take some days for Council to get around all these sites and confirm the arrangements for the removal of these tanks.”
“Some businesses and homes when installing a dedicated water tank and pressure pump have by-passed the reticulated water system.”
“These arrangements will need to be reversed to get people back on the reticulated water supply.”
“In the interim we will need to continue to service these tanks,” he said.
Mr Till noted that over the emergency Council distributed potable water containers which residents are free to keep if they still had a use for them.”
“If people have no further use for the portable water containers they can drop them off at Council’s Raetihi office on Seddon St.”
“Any returned water containers will be sterilised and put in storage for any future events.”
Mr Till added that in the longer term the plan is to return to Raetihi’s original water source from the Makotuku Stream by Christmas.
“This will be dependent on whether tests show that the stream is free from hydrocarbons and we can safely make potable water from it.”
ends
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